Moonlit Nights
by KisaItas
Summary: Kisame runs into a child being attacked and decides to save him. Only, the child ends up saving Kisame instead.
1. Chapter 1

Moonlit Nights - Chapter 01: The Wandering Child

MN

Like most things for KisaIta week, this fanfic follows the week's parts. This one is about the first meeting. Hope you enjoy this fic!

MN

The full moon was the main source of light that night. The glimmering of the light reflected against the gently rippling surface of the water.

Kisame did not expect to see anyone else there that night, as he walked towards the pier. He had a small boat, nothing special. He stole it a few years back, from a drug dealer who had died through a series of unfortunate events. Really, it might as well belong to him now. No one would come searching for it.

He had just been walking back that night, his feet ruffling through the sand, a bag by his side that contained some groceries. It was then that he saw it, a small child sitting along the pier, his feet dangling down against the water.

"Hey kid, you should go home." Kisame said as he strode next to his boat. "It's too cold and there are some thugs in the area, you don't want to get caught by one of them."

The kid did not respond at all, and it was too dark. Maybe there was no kid, just a stick against the pier. Kisame refrained from kicking it into the water when a breeze flew through the kid's long hair, proving it was in fact, a kid. He shook his head and went into his little boat.

He turned on some Tchaikovsky. He reached for his small knife collection and began cutting the vegetables into a salad. He had some takeout soup and some cheese that should be dinner for the night.

Kisame spread dressing onto his salad and sighed, breathing in the scent of vegetables mixing with the salty sea air. It was a great scent, one he had fallen in love with.

It was decided then. He would eat outside and enjoy the nice autumn breeze. Kisame hummed and got his salad ready. He would come back for the soup.

He stepped outside and froze when he noticed the child still sitting there, stock still.

"Hey kid?" Kisame asked.

"Hn?" The kid grunted in reply.

"It's dangerous out here. You should go home."

"I have no place to go." The kid responded calmly. "Am I bothering you? I will leave." The kiss was speaking slowly, enunciating each word and in a long drawl. His voice was scratchy and forced, as if he had something stuck in his throat.

"Did you eat yet?" Kisame asked, feeling a pang of guilt. He knew what it was like to be starving on the streets. He had lived a nomadic life after escaping the hell his parents had created for him.

"... No." The kid admitted after a long pause.

"Get in." Kisame said, going back into his boat with the light. He wanted to get a good look at the kid before offering him food, plus most of what he had was inside anyway.

He headed into his boat and didn't look for see if the kid followed or not, he just kept the lights on and placed his salad on the small plastic table. He went behind the bar where he had a crate of bottled water. There was no fridge but the crate had enough. He picked out two bottles just as he felt the boat tip slightly with the entrance of another.

Kisame took a deep breath, half expecting a scream when the boy entered. Kisame's skin was a sickly greyish blue, completely abnormal. As a child, his father had tried to kill him and left permanent markings on his face and arms, which he later tattoo'ed over to resemble a shark. He was an unwelcome entity based on looks alone.

When he heard no scream, Kisame looked up and nearly dropped the bottle in shock.

The kid was broken. The kid was beautiful. He had pale porcelain skin and dark, dirt filled black hair. He has bruises on his neck and face as if he were recently in a fight, and he was tiny, easily half of Kisame's height - he was probably just a kid. Yet even then he was hauntingly beautiful, none of the purplish black bruises or the dirty hair detracted from it. The bags around his eyes giving him an exhausted appearance did nothing.

"Water?" Kisame offered, holding out a bottle. "This... You can wash your hands in the sink... Over in the bathroom there. There's a basin of water for washing."

Itachi said nothing but went to the bathroom and Kisame couldn't help but look down towards Itachi's sandy, dirt crusted hands, straight and straight towards those long, pale fingers.

The kid was clearly abused, possibly a runaway. He was also incredibly naive to simply walk into a stranger's boat, no questions asked.

It was a while before the kid emerged from the bathroom, having washed off most of the gunk from his face and hands. Kisame took the time to drop the bottled water onto the small bench style table and set a second set of food, dividing between the two of them and adding whatever few fruits Kisame had lying around.

"You can sit." Kisame said, sitting opposite the kid. "And you can eat, if you tell me your story. Food for a story, fair deal?"

"Yes." The kid said in response, sitting down opposite and eyeing the food hungrily.

"Name's Kisame." Kisame began. "You tell yours and start." Kisame took a bite of salad.

The kid stared at the food carefully, avoiding Kisame's gaze as he turned the salad over with his fork, as if checking for something. Eventually, he picked it up and carefully slid the salad dressing against his lower lip, not taking a bite.

Kisame watched with interest as the boy blinked in what would be a rather strange way, almost robotically, turning over the water.

"Itachi." The kid said after a few moments, during which he licked his lips and took a small bite of the salad. "My name is Itachi. I am just a kid. I was thrown out of my home for being... A bad kid. Then I came here because it was the direction I was facing. There's nothing else to say really."

Kisame highly doubted that. "Really? So you have nothing to say about the bruises on your face? About your black eye or anything?"

Itachi began eating his salad in larger bites. It seemed he had deemed the water worthy as well as he downed half of the bottle in a quick gulp, touching his neck wearily as he did so.

"I fell down on the way over. I was weak from not eating."

"Are you lying to me?" Kisame asked.

"Yes." The answered, taking another bite. "Do you care?"

"I'd rather know the truth."

"I'd rather not tell it. I told you a story, like you asked."

Kisame couldn't argue that point. He sat back then, observing Itachi. "Very well, you told me a story. Once you're done... We can go to the police and they can take care of you. I wasn't kidding when I said this place isn't safe for kids. They can get you into a home like you deserve, it won't be the same one you came from, probably."

If Itachi felt anything at these words, he made no mention of it. Instead, he continued eating. "Okay, thank you."

And so they ate in relative silence. Itachi seemed to approach each thing with caution, eating everything quickly after he deemed it worthy. Kisame figured he was a picky eater and wanted to make sure everything was tasty - strange for a starving street rat, but what else could it be?

Music played in the background in a loop and Itachi took his time finishing the food. When he was done, he excused himself to wash his hands. Kisame reached for his phone to look up the nearest police station.

He waited. And he waited. Kisame waited an entire hour before deciding to get up and check to see if Itachi had fallen asleep in the bathroom or something.

He knocked on the bathroom door. "Itachi? You alright?"

When he received no response, Kisame said. "Hey, I'm coming in, alright? Just to make sure you're okay."

"That little weasel." Kisame said as soon as he opened the door to find it empty. Itachi had run off, right under his nose!

MN

Kisame didn't expect to see Itachi again, ever. He was surprised then, when a month later he was walking through a different town. His mother had died and he was here to collect his inheritance. It was a moderate amount. Kisame's parents were bound by the law of their tribe to give wealth equally among siblings, otherwise Kisame was sure he would have gotten nothing at all. As it was, he now owned his family's sword, Samehada, and a few properties. Kisame took it in stride and stayed with his sister to help her through her mourning.

His sister left to go back to work before he did, and he planned to stay in town just a short while longer, before buying a bigger boat and going out to sea. Maybe he'd do some sort of business before settling down someplace alone.

It was a week after the funeral had ended, on a night with a full moon. The light shone against the glass buildings, barely visible against the trees and street lamps of the town.

It started when he heard a familiar voice. "Please!" The voice croaked. "Leave me alone!"

Kisame ran. He ran towards the voice with a speed he didn't know he was capable of. His mind scurried and brought forth a name that had haunted him for weeks.

Kisame rounded a corner to see Itachi surrounded by several men in black suits, many of them twice as tall as he.

Itachi looked even worse than last time Kisame had seen him, the bones of his face were visible and his eyes were hallowed out.

"We cannot, you will come with us." A man answered.

"No." Itachi said, "This is my final warning, leave!"

The men answered by taking out guns. Kisame jumped back and fisted his hands to fight. Guns? Against a kid? What the hell?

But he didn't even enter the fight, for as soon as he was about to move he felt a gun to his head. "Boss, there's a witness."

"Kill him." A man, presumably the boss said. And that was the last thing he said that night, for in the next minute Itachi moved. And Itachi moving was unlike anything Kisame had ever seen before.

Itachi's eyes glowed red, black swirls rotated in his eyes, and he moved with a superhuman movement. He took down all the men within a minute and Kisame only stood their with his mouth hanging open.

It took him until then to realize that the man with the gun to his head had also fallen by Itachi's hand and that Itachi was remarkably close to him, staring up at him with red eyes. The street lamp above flickered briefly as their gazes locked both in equal wonderment.

Then Itachi collapsed, falling to the floor, dirty black hair splayed against the concrete. Itachi had no shoes, he was barefoot with bleeding, broken soles, some yellowed from infection.

Kisame didn't think, he picked up Itachi and ran, ran straight for the hotel. He entered through the side entrance so the main office wouldn't see, taking the elevator straight up. Luckily, very few people were around at this time of night so Kisame ran into no one as he inserted his keycard and took Itachi in.

Who was this kid?

For now, he was just a kid, and Kisame understood enough to know that if men in suits were hunting him, he wasn't safe here, and certainly not with the police. Men in suits who would point a gun at a child.

Kisame had no intention of infringing on kid's privacy, but he was in desperate need of a bath. Kisame went to the fridge and picked out another bottled water, leaving it by the side table.

At the side table, Kisame picked up the card with phone numbers and dialed for the front desk.

"Hello?" A woman on the other end spoke.

"Hello, is room service available at this time?"

"It's available 24/7 sir. There is a menu in the side desk, would you like to order something?"

"Yes, hold on." Kisame pulled the desk and looked through the menu. "I'd like stuffed mushrooms, Cuban rolls, basil, tomato and cheese flatbread and the garlic alfredo pasta with all the meats in it. And... Some cake too."

Itachi looked like he needed a lot of meat. Kisame looked at Itachi again, wondering how someone so small could be so dangerous.

Room service arrived almost thirty minutes later. Itachi was still asleep as Kisame brought the food in, leaving it on the office desk near the window.

Kisame pulled out a note and pen from the desk and writes quick note.

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Itachi,

I am going out for a bit. Eat as much as you want, take a bath, don't leave. It's not safe for you. I won't take you to the police or give you away, promise. You're safe here, no one knows you're here. Call me at 010-547-2630 if you need anything. Be back soon.

Kisame

MN

Kisame left the note by the food and left, nearly running to the department store across the street. At least one good thing about big cities was that everything you needed was literally right there.

He shopped at an insane speed, not sure what urged him on. He picked up clothes he was sure would be too big, but the closest he could find to Itachi's size without a sizing. Just a simple pair of jeans and the cheapest t-shirt he could find. He half couldn't believe himself when he tossed underwear into the mix. Simple sandals and, for the heck of it, a blonde wig and sunglasses. Plastic wrap and scissors as well.

It took all of ten minutes in his rush, and with some help, and he was done, going through self checkout and bagging the clothes.

When he returned, Itachi was still asleep when he returned. Kisame picked up his note, crumpled it up, and tossed it in the trash, glad he returned before Itachi could run away again.

It wasn't that he cared for the kid or anything, but he knew what it was like to be chased by some higher power. Years ago, Kisame had fought the same battle, though he was older and able to handle it. He would, at the very least, get this kid a disguise before sending him on his way.

Then he would go buy his boat and travel forever, or so Kisame had decided.

Kisame placed the plastic wrap along the floor so Itachi's bloody feet wouldn't ruin the carpet and convince the housekeeping staff that someone had died.

MN

By the time Itachi finally woke up, the food was cold. Kisame watched as Itachi groaned, fingers curving into the plush bed beneath.

"Relax, you're safe. No one knows you're here." They were the first words out of Kisame's mouth. He knew they were there only ones Itachi would want to hear.

Itachi's onyx eyes met Kisame's beady black ones.

"Why?"

"I know what it's like." Kisame answered. "There's food. Eat."

And so it was a repeat of their last meeting. Itachi leaving to go wash his hands first, coming back significantly less dirty than before.

Itachi had been walkin carefully along the plastic wrap below before standing awkwardly.

"Go on, sit and eat at the desk." Kisame waved to the food, and Itachi complied.

Like before, Itachi ate his food with great care. He rubbed the alfredo sauce against his lip and waited before eating it. Kisame took note of how Itachi avoided eating the meat entirely.

"Aren't you going to ask?" Itachi wondered aloud.

"You'd lie." Kisame said simply. "There's no need to tell me anything at all."

Itachi hummed in response, just for a moment before reaching for the water and downing the entire bottle.

Kisame waited until Itachi was done before reaching for the clothes and wig in his bag.

"Here are some clothes you can change into. You seriously need a bath. Go clean up."

"I can't pay you." Itachi said finally.

"You don't have to. Consider it good will."

"There's no such thing." Itachi answered. "I am already in your debt. What can I do for you?"

"You can go take a bath." Kisame insisted, and so Itachi took the clothes and went to take a bath. Likely, he had to put his pride aside for the luxuries of clothes, or risk death. It almost hurt for Kisame to think it. Almost.

MN

Kisame picked up the scissors and tore off the papery and plastic covers keeping it together. He pulled out his phone and began looking up hairstyles until Itachi was done.

Itachi took two hours in the shower. It was no surprise considering he was wounded and probably hurt. It was no surprise considering how much dirt he was flayed in.

Kisame was however, surprised when Itachi emerged, glowing and beautiful. It was amazing what a simple bath could do for someone's appearance. The clothes were certainly too big, but they did the job, which is what mattered. Itachi's old ones drenched in mud and dirt, torn and in tattered, were sadly the exact same ones, though barely recognizable, that Kisame had seen the first time he had met Itachi.

"Let's cut your hair." Kisame said instantly. "They will recognize you with your long hair. Let me."

Itachi blinked in surprise, but did not argue as Kisame gestured him back inside. Kisame mentally noticed how the bathtub had no dirt in it even though Itachi had clearly used it. Itachi had rinsed off the tub after using it, how thoughtful.

It wasn't a good job. Kisame had never given anyone a haircut before, and it was probably uneven in a lot of places. Still, Kisame had managed to cut off all of Itachi's long hair so that it now lay short and limped, clinging to Itachi's forehead. Kisame wanted dearly to leave Itachi's bangs, so he only trimmed them, he did like them quite a lot.

It was Itachi who instantly began cleaning the mess after, while stating a very polite "thank you."

Kisame didn't argue it, but did feel moved by the kid's politeness. How many street rats were so well mannered?

Itachi returned and sat across Kisame, on the sofa. His back was straight, proud and he looked directly at Kisame. It was unnerving that a child could look at him as if he thought of Kisame as an equal, not an adult from whom to follow orders.

"I got you a wig and sunglasses." Kisame said finally. "And sandals. Your feet you know... That way you can run from the suits."

"Thank you." The child repeated again. "Can I... Can I do something for you? Help you out?"

Kisame shook his head. What was with this kid? This kid who clearly had nothing yet wanted to do something?

"Stay safe." Kisame said, with a sigh.

Itachi nodded and then leaned forward and retched, bile spilling onto the floor before his eyes rolled back. Kisame caught him before he fell into it, consciousness lost.

Kisame rolled Itachi onto the bed and called for room service once more, this time to demand a new room and for added benefit, put the blonde wig on Itachi while the kid slept.

MN

Carrying Itachi in the middle of the night to the new room looked pretty suspicious. A passing women eyed them but made no comment as Kisame entered the new room, identical to the last one. He dropped Itachi onto the bed and took a good look at Itachi. A real one this time.

Itachi was more beat up than he had last seen him. Kisame didn't want to breach Itachi's privacy by checking on his wounds in other places, but he had the vague feeling that Itachi was probably wounded where Kisame couldn't reach.

Another trip to the department store then. Kisame wrote an identical note to last time before leaving for the second time that night on a trip he never thought he'd take. Part of him wondered what he'd gotten into it. Any feelings of regret he might have had disappeared when he remembered the attitude Itachi had shown and the guns pointed at his face.

This time, Kisame rushed for entirely different reasons. He picked up a full medkit, and additional salves, alcohol and bandages. His feet had been infected - he'd need to see an actual doctor for that.

Kisame texted his sister. "I'm coming to see you. Have Darui there too. Will arrive by morning."

And with that, Kisame went through self checkout again, hurrying back to his hotel after.

MN

Unlike last time, Itachi was awake, note in hand as Kisame returned.

"Why...?" Itachi croaked, his hand rubbing his bruised neck.

"I told you, I went through the same thing once."

"Tell me." Itachi said, there were tears threatening to spill out of the boy's eyes. Itachi blinked back the watering and gazed intensely at Kisame.

"I have my secrets, you have yours." Kisame answered, getting on his knees. "Now let me tend to your wounds."

Itachi did not argue, and allowed Kisame to bandage his feet and arms, refusing any other part. Kisame did not push the issue.

"I have a sister who is a doctor. Her husband too." Kisame said slowly as he bandaged. "You're going to come with me to see them, alright?"

"Alright." Itachi's eyed were heavily hooded as he fidgeted with his hands.

"Good. We're leaving now." Kisame said. "I don't trust this town full of suits."

Itachi looked up. "A different town?"

"Yeah, it's a small town in the mountains, east of here. It's an eight hour drive, think you can handle it?"

"I can handle it." Itachi nodded.

MN

Itachi was silent through their ride, not wanting to speak much at all. That was fine with Kisame, who turned up the music, heavy metal or classic rock, and drove purposefully to the getaway where his sister lived.

They stopped only once and Kisame insisted that Itachi pick up some snacks from the snack aisle at the gas station. Itachi carefully picked up one bag of potato chips. Kisame looked, then picked up four more, random candies and chocolates and a few cold bottles of water.

Itachi's eyes only widened at the display, but said nothing at all. On the road again, Kisame turned off the music and asked Itachi to eat, and also to feed him some chips as they drove.

The road was long curvy and drove for hours.

"Do you have a family Itachi?" Kisame asked. "I have only one sister, both parents are gone."

"I have a brother." Itachi said. "He was adopted by some family friends. My parents are dead."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Kisame answered. "Is your brother alright? Not hunted?"

"He's fine, he will be happy. He's in good hands." Itach said impassively.

Kisame didn't press any further. "So you like candy, huh?"

"I like sweet things." Itachi agreed, chewing on a gummy lifesaver. "Chocolate is great too."

And so Kisame managed to get Itachi to talk a bit. He learned the strangest things, such as the fact that Itachi had learned to speak over thirty languages because of a strict education. Kisame was thoroughly impressed.

"I like history." Itachi said, and began telling the entire history of Italy to Kisame, who couldn't help but zone out at certain parts. It was like being in school again.

MN

They arrived to the town in the mountains. The house they arrived at was located literally on top of a mountain, about an acre and half away from the next house, all along a singular lane of a long hilly stretch.

Kisame pulled up and asked if he could carry Itachi in.

Itachi refused, wincing as he walked. Still, he refused help, and Kisame allowed it.

"Your wig is lopsided." Kisame reached over and pulled it off. "You won't need it here don't worry."

And Itachi nodded.

Umi came out, her long navy blue hair flowed behind her as he rushed outside. "Kisame!" Soon her arms were flung around Kisame's neck and the two embraced.

"Umi, this is Itachi. His feet are infected and I fear he has suffered... Some fights and needs medical attention."

Umi looked at Itachi and cupped her hand around Itachi's cheeks. "You look pretty beat up. Come on in."

Darui waited for them by the entrance, greeting them and allowing them inside.

Kisame stretched. "I'm beat. I didn't get any sleep and drove eight hours straight here."

The sun was just rising where they were. "I'm going to go get some sleep."

Kisame went to his usual room and fell asleep instantly when his head fell against the pillows.

MN

When Kisame woke, the sun was still high in the sky and someone had opened his window. The fresh mountain breeze greeted him and he rose to look out at the beautiful mountainscape before heading on down, from where he could smell food cooking.

Umi and Darui were were cooking together, as they often did.

"Chicken pot pie today." Umi announced as Kisame greeted them.

"Thanks for the coffee." Kisame grinned as he noted Darui already turning the coffee machine on for them.

"No problem." Darui stirred.

"Okay so, Itachi has some serious wounds. It's good his infection hasn't spread or we would have to amputate. As it is, I've got some antibiotics for him. Darui went and got them in town. We managed to fix him up as best we can for now but he is severely malnourished and weak. He will need at least a month for a full recovery."

"Think we could crash here till then?" Kisame asked.

"You're always welcome here." Umi said. "Plus then we can keep an eye on the kid. What's his story?"

"Dunno. But I plan to keep him safe."

"Might be illegal, he's clearly underage. Maybe 13 or 14 at most." Darui commented. "Child protection services will be after us. He needs to be in school."

"Keep it a secret then." Kisame said. "Some bad people are chasing him." Well okay, he didn't know the ones in suit were the bad guys. For all he knew it was Itachi. "Just keep it down and don't tell anyone."

Umi and Darui exchanged a look, but both agreed to it.

MN


	2. Chapter 2

MN

Kisame knocked on the door to Itachi's room.

"Come in." Itachi's voice sounded from the other side.

"Hey." Kisame said as he entered. "How are you feeling?"

Itachi was on the bed, sitting up with a medical textbook in his hand. No doubt the only available reading material Umi or Darui kept around.

"Pleasant." Itachi answered stoically. He shut the book, but kept a single finger between the pages as if to bookmark it. "Thank you."

"Look, my sister said... You need at least a month to heal. This place is in the middle of nowhere along the Appalachian mountains, technology doesn't even work properly in some parts of the range. I have gotten my sister and her husband to promise not to give you away. Will you stay?"

Itachi blinked and then looked at his hands. "You are being far too understanding about something you have no knowledge of."

"I don't need to know more than I already know." Kisame answered.

Itachi raised his head and nodded. "Alright. I will stay."

MN

Itachi did stay a full month, pushing the limits of his strength. He would do everything he could to help around the house. He was meticulous in his cleaning. It was as if he felt no pain.

Every night Kisame would watch as Itachi exercised outside. He would do hundreds of push-ups on a single arm, he would lift weights that were nearly as heavy as the ones Kisame could lift.

He managed to spar using a tiny knife against Umi's nubari and Kisame's Samehada blades, fighting both at once with ease, no easy task as Umi and Kisame were champions in the sword fighting arena.

Itachi himself was not just a book nerd or history geek as Kisame had believed originally. Itachi was a full on genius who could was fluent in more languages than Kisame knew, had photographic memory, and, if Itachi's words were anything to go by - and Kisame believed them - Itachi had several college degrees and was learned in many disciplines. There was almost no question they could ask that Itachi did not already know the answer to.

Which naturally ticked Umi and Darui off - because someone, a child no less, as impressive as Itachi should be world famous. So why hadn't anyone ever heard of him?

The next thing that got to them was that Itachi wasn't well, and it wasn't just his feet which had begun to heal rapidly. It was something more, and Umi and Darui could not isolate the cause. Itachi was unconcerned. The symptoms weren't bad, it was something rather unusual. Itachi would just freeze in place suddenly, as if in pain, then continue whatever it was he was doing before.

Once, Umi claimed Itachi coughed up blood, but no one had seen it since.

"It is nothing, I have had it since birth." He would say. "I have seen many doctors, it cannot be helped."

And they could get no more information from Itachi about the subject.

"Tell me about your brother, Itachi." Kisame asked one day.

Itachi paused. "My brother is strange. He does not like sweet things like I do. He is wild and passionate and wants to be great, but he doesn't see that he already is. He pushes his limits often. He can be possessive over his toys and he cares deeply for those around him."

"He sounds great." Kisame said, intrigued by the way Itachi had chosen to answer the question. "Is he a genius like you?"

Itachi looked up and Kisame saw a rare, true smile on Itachi's features. "He's greater in every way."

Kisame laughed. "I doubt that."

"It's true." Itachi answered, humming softly as he walked outside. The breeze flung his hair in all directions but he didn't seem to care.

Kisame just watched in wonder.

Itachi had become, in a very short period of time, one of them. Everyone loved Itachi, but Kisame was very much aware their time was nearly up, and he wondered whether Itachi would choose to stay with him.

It had been raining, and Itachi had gone outside in the middle of the night, standing on the deck that was above a large cliff at the edge of a mountain.

The full moon shone down on them as Kisame approached, little droplets of water reflecting its light.

"I should leave soon." Itachi said. "I have overstayed my welcome."

Kisame stood a distance apart, knowing how much Itachi valued his privacy. It was a comfortable distance, a friendly one, not a stranger kind.

"Where will you go?"

"I do not know yet."

"Come with me." Kisame said suddenly.

There was a long, pregnant pause during which Kisame feared rejection. He knew Itachi had no reason to stay.

"Where?" Itachi asked, surprising them both.

"I want- I always planned to go to sea. I was thinking of a cruise boat or private vessel, just us, maybe a small crew, or perhaps a fishing boat. I haven't decided yet."

"A cruise boat then." Itachi decided for them. "We would be bored with a private vessel and no mission, and I do not want to fish out all the fish in the sea. We should respect the sea life. Besides, I don't eat fish."

Kisame laughed. "A cruise boat then. And maybe we could - you know if it goes well, buy some land and build a home on it."

"Let's do it." Itachi said. "I cannot offer any sort of investment upfront but... I do know quite a lot about business, advertisement and ships. I could help."

"We'll be partners then." Kisame beamed, turning and holding out a hand for Itachi. And Itachi took it, happily.

They were partners.

MN

It turned out Itachi did indeed know about ships. He already knew the best sort of cruise ship to buy given the money Kisame had from his inheritance. He had began advertising their business and handling all the related paperwork, which Kisame found was quite a lot more than he had ever anticipated.

It was great, within a few short months they had gotten along well, and began to make a profit. Itachi would wear blue contacts and the same blonde wig from before. He donned unnecessary glasses with false lens and he always carried a magnet with him, for reasons Kisame could not understand. Always, Itachi would wear clothing that completely covered his skin, no shorts and no short sleeved shirts. Oftentimes, he would cover his neck as well with turtlenecks. Only his face and hands were visible.

Itachi would often scroll through the cruise's Internet, often using complex methods that were unknown to Kisame.

On a night in which the salty sea reflected the light of the full moon, Kisame thought to take a walk on his ship. Most cruise members were fast asleep and Kisame was expecting the same thing again.

It was odd then, that he saw a figure near the top of the deck, leaning against the rails. In the moonlight, Kisame could clearly make out the light of a phone screen.

He got closer and his keen sense of smell was enough to tell him it was Itachi standing there, and as he got closer he realized Itachi was crying, the tears reflected off of the moon and onto his face. His eyes were shut and Kisame dared to break Itachi's privacy. He looked at the screen and saw the Prince of France staring back at him, a news article and nothing more.

There weren't many places that still had royalty in the modern era, but France was one of them. It had two well known princes, brothers rather. It was well known that one of the princes had features none other in their family had, but paternity tests had proved the child as belonging to Minato and Kushina, the king and queen.

Some had guessed it was Kushina's unusual upbringing, for she was not one of status and possibly had mixed blood, but no one was sure at all.

Naruto was the older one, and the crown prince. Sasuke, the younger one, was on the screen, a face Kisame would recognize anywhere.

And now that Kisame had seen it, he could not unsee it. He had Itachi's eyes. Itachi's true eyes. He had the same hair, though Itachi's has dulled with age and disease and grayed from hard work. He looked plush and well taken care of, while Itachi had deep bags around his eyes and calloused hands from long nights spent up, working.

The phone clicked shut. "Kisame, I did not see you." Itachi said with an even voice, no sign that he had been crying currently existed on Itachi's face. "Are you unable to sleep?"

Kisame stepped closer. "What is your brother's name, Itachi?"

Itachi was silent. He did not answer immediately, then finally said "Izuna."

Liar. Kisame knew it the moment it left Itachi's lips, but Kisame said nothing at all.

"Was that...-?"

"Kisame." Itachi reached forward, and in a rare display, lightly touched Kisame's shoulder. "There is nothing more to say."

And so they said no more, instead they watched the full moon together and thought of things that they could never say aloud.

MN

Kisame wasn't completely blind, he saw the signs.

Itachi stopped using phones, saying he was too addicted and had decided to stay away from screens. His glasses became thicker and Kisame realized, when rummaging through papers looking for tax information, that Itachi had an actual prescription on his eyes now.

He saw, accidentally when he asked to use Itachi's bathroom once, the medicine in the medicine cabinet.

He saw Itachi use both hands when doing push-ups.

The breaking point was a public debacle when Itachi coughed during a tour of the ship, and left blood in his hands. Kisame only saw because he stood right next to Itachi.

Itachi had simply apologized and closed his fist, shoving his hand casually in his pocket and continuing the tour as if nothing were wrong.

Only when they were alone did Kisame break. He grabbed Itachi and uncharacteristically shoved him against the wall, looming over the smaller figure in a mix of anger and agony.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kisame asked.

Itachi was unfazed. "I do not wish to bother you."

"You don't bother me! Itachi I worry for you! I have been worrying more and more every day!"

"I apologize. I will try to keep it more-."

"No!" Kisame said, louder than he meant to. And it did bring out a reaction in Itachi who flinched at Kisame's rage. It wasn't a fearful flinch, but a guilty one. Kisame relaxed and spoke in a softer voice. "I'm not saying to keep these feelings to yourself. It is not your fault. I lo- I care for you Itachi, you are my partner. Do you understand? My partner! If this work is getting in the way we will find another."

Itachi looked panicked now. "No, no, it's not- this is perfect. Everything's fine."

Kisame changed his tactic. "We have been in one place too long. They will find you now, even in disguise." He didn't have to say who they were. "I am unhappy with this. I told you once, I wanted a home, a place of my own to build. Let's leave this place, and build that home."

Itachi seemed dubious, but he allowed it. "Have we saved enough?"

We? Kisame had never considered that Itachi would pay any of it. Since Itachi could not have his own bank account, he used Kisame's name with a different bank. Kisame had respected Itachi's privacy and never looked into it. No one knew Kisame had a partner, not on papers anyway.

"I have about $55,000." Itachi said. "How much will the land cost?"

"We have enough." Kisame said. "I actually... I have some land my family gave me. Land our family has had for decades but never used. Farming land that we rent out to farmers. I was thinking of clearing it out, one by the river. We would only have to buy supplies."

Itachi nodded. "Let's finish this cruise and then build our home."

MN

The land was in good health and very fertile. Kisame watched in amusement as Itachi took off his shoes to enjoy the dirt with bare feet.

They had the old farm house removed prior to arriving so all that remained was building the house.

There were plenty of trees nearby, so they began their work.

Kisame chopped the wood, and Itachi sawed it into long wooden plants.

They carried them together to the site where they would build the home, using Itachi's plans for a ranch-style home for two. It was small, but it would be enough for them.

They had an old pickup truck they bought from the farmer that once rented the place, and used it to go to town and rest in the hotel available there, always in separate rooms. They would inevitably go to the hardware store for supplies they needed.

It took them only three weeks to finish, and when they were done, they brought in sleeping bags and slept there.

They hired plumbers and electricians to wire the place while they built a deck and a pier.

Later, they began to build wooden furniture, and Kisame ordered mattresses, pillows and other cushions for things like their chairs and sofas.

It wasn't until they began painting the house that Kisame could take their silence no more.

"You've gotten older, Itachi." Kisame commented.

Itachi hummed. "Time tends to do that."

"I was wondering... Have you ever... That is... Considered a relationship? Has no one taken your interest?"

Itachi continued painting and humming, and Kisame was used to Itachi's long pauses by now.

"I have read on the topic but I find... I have no interest in anyone." Itachi said finally. "Neither in men, nor in women. It isn't that I'm opposed to sex..." Kisame almost jumped at Itachi's bluntness. "It's just it hasn't really occurred to me, you know?"

Itachi's speech was strange, perhaps because he was talking about a strange subject. "I... No I don't." Kisame admitted. "I have always had an interest... In men and in women. A strong one, both sexually and romantically."

"There's a difference?" Itachi thought aloud. "I suppose there is. Yes, I understand now, I do recall reading of it."

Kisame let the subject drop, having decided that if Itachi was asexual, which is sounded like, he had no intention of breaking it. They painted for a while longer, before it was Itachi who broke the silence, proving that it was no ordinary moment.

"Kisame?"

"Yes?"

"Would you go out with me?"

"Where?" Kisame asked automatically.

"I mean... On a date."

MN


	3. Chapter 3

MN

A date with Itachi was rather tame. Kisame hadn't been in the dating game for years, and he knew it would be slow with Itachi, but he didn't realize just how slow.

Even holding hands with Itachi was scandalous, so they went to a movie and walked side by side against the lake while discussing it. With Itachi, movies took a completely different perspective. Instead of just enjoying the story as it is, Itachi would break the movie and analyze it in ways Kisame would never have thought about.

Their second date involved strawberry picking at a nearby farmer's yard. They were allowed to pick as many as they wanted and they'd be able to keep them all, so they filled several baskets and took them home.

In the lake by the pier, they washed the strawberries and ate them while Kisame told Itachi about his days sword fighting. For a short period of time, Kisame had dedicated his life to the art, and through it had learned about himself.

It was Itachi who leaned forward while Kisame spoke and, with gentle fingers, wiped off the strawberry juice that was sliding down Kisame's chin, essentially shutting him up.

As if to tease him further, Itachi sucked the juice off of his fingers, all while watching Kisame innocently.

"Then what happened?" Itachi asked casually, and Kisame wondered if he has any idea what his words were doing to him.

On their third date, Kisame dared to take Itachi's hand, and Itachi began humming.

Time was not on their side. Itachi's health got worse by the day, and Umi came to stay in their home to better see to Itachi's health. They couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Kisame took to sleeping in Itachi's room, on the floor at first, to make sure Itachi would be alright, silently dying inside every time he heard Itachi cough. Occasionally, he would take Itachi's hands in his own and softly kiss Itachi's knuckles.

By the second day though, Itachi insisted that Kisame join him in bed, and they lay side by side as Itachi struggled to breathe. Once, Kisame heard him murmur "Sasuke."

On a night where the moon shone through the lone glass window in what was now their shared bedroom, Kisame carefully cradled Itachi's face within his own hands and said the words he feared Itachi would never hear of this continued.

"I love you." Kisame whispered softly.

Itachi did not look surprised. Instead his eyebrows bunched closer and although he smiled, his eyes sparkled in sadness. "I do not deserve you." Itachi said, leaning closer and gently pressing his lips to Kisame's.

It was their first kiss, it was chaste. There were no fireworks, butterflies or fits of passion. There was only lingering sorrow.

Their second kiss, in the morning, was everything their first was not. Itachi woke up feeling energized and climbed on top of Kisame, waking him up. The strength of both of their morning erections well noticed by both.

Kisame was left speechless as Itachi stole his lips and devoured his mouth in a completely shocking and utterly wrecking way. It was like no kiss Kisame had ever experienced before, it was passion, it was desire, it was strangely tender with Itachi softly intertwining their fingers.

Their bodies were on fire, eager for more contact while their mouths fought a desperate, pleading battle that shot euphoria through their bodies.

And when they separated Kisame, Itachi's eyes were darkened, hooded, seated with desire.

"That was incredible." Kisame breathed.

"Hn." Itachi grunted, slowly getting off of Kisame. "We should get ready, we need to install the carpets today."

Kisame huffed and grabbed Itachi from behind, daring to nip gently at Itachi's ear. "I love you." He repeated.

Itachi leaned back to Kisame's voice and sighed contentedly. "Let's go for a swim tonight."

It was a strange request, but Kisame did not question it, and they got ready for the day.

MN

When Itachi had said that they would go for a swim, Kisame hadn't realized that Itachi meant naked. He was surprised then, when he saw Itachi completely naked by the moonlight. It wasn't a full moon, but it was enough to reflect against the surface of the water and make out Itachi's lithe, athletic figure.

Kisame wanted to ask if Itachi was sure - until he realized that being naked might not be an invitation for sex, not with innocent Itachi on the other end. So he took off his own clothes, and immediately sunk into the cool water to hide his raging erection - something the cool water should have withered away but did not.

Itachi walked in afterwards and, in what could have been for no other reason than to torture Kisame, sat in his lap.

"Itachi..." Kisame breathed, his voice hoarse with barely contained lust. "This..."

"Prince Sasuke is my brother." Itachi began. Kisame's erection immediately withered, replaced with instant alertness, his whole body completely aware of every word Itachi spoke. "You may have suspected already."

"I guessed." Kisame said, wrapping his arms around Itachi.

"I am an experiment, a part of a government project gone wrong, the Uchiha project. When the project began to fail due to lack of control, the government began to exterminate us. My brother and I are the last of our kind. The only reason Sasuke is alive is because he is a well known political figure. My mother, Mikoto, was close friends with Kushina, and asked her to adopt Sasuke when she realized what was going on. Sasuke and Naruto became such good friends it worked. I always wanted to be a part of Sasuke's life, of Naruto's... I think of them all the time, not a day goes by that I don't. Sasuke is always on my mind, the one I love unconditionally even though I've never met him."

"Why was the experiment a failure?"

"Because we went mad. I was the first who didn't lose my mind, my mother, my father... They all lost their minds. I was created differently, but... In exchange for this I lost the ability to live properly. My health is not good. Sasuke was the only successful experiment, but he is closely watched. He will be killed if they ever suspect his mind is not right."

Kisame had a million questions, but didn't dare ask any of them. "What does this mean for us?"

"Do you still want me, knowing what I am? A failed experiment?" Itachi asked.

"I will always want you." Kisame insisted.

"Tell me about your past." Itachi said. It was not a question, but not a command either.

"When I was younger, because of my appearance... My parents tried to get rid of me. I was always called a monster and when I was old enough, I ran away. I was barely older than you. My older sister was the greatest thing to happen to me, she supported me and always knew where I was. I got into some pretty bad groups for a while, gangs and things..." Kisame shrugged. "Not nearly as dramatic as you. I went to a place in the mountains to practice sword fighting with my sister years ago. We stayed for a few years and eventually, I came back here and got a boat. The rest is history."

Itachi nodded, and that was enough. They put the past behind them and kissed softly, their bodies merging against the rippling water. The act that followed could only be described as making love, for it was nothing but a desire to be closer, to be one, with another. It was not white hot passion, but a soft tenderness with careful caresses and touches.

Later they lay together in the soft mud by the river bank, cuddling as dreams overtook them.

MN

Things didn't change much between them after that, except Itachi did not mind telling Kisame about his brother. He would laugh and tell stories about Sasuke, things he had seen from afar.

"Why do your eyes glow red sometimes?" Kisame asked. He had actually only seen it once.

"Sasuke's do too." Itachi said, completely relaxed. "It's called the sharingan and it lets us see the world differently. That way of seeing things allows us to do things we couldn't otherwise."

"I see." Kisame said, though he didn't really.

And they left it at that, both of them content.

"When I die." Itachi said suddenly. "Take care of Sasuke for me, alright?"

"I promise." Kisame said instantly. It wasn't what he wanted to say. He wanted to hold Itachi close and tell him it would be alright, that there would be hope - but that would be a lie.

That didn't stop the hollow feeling in Kisame's chest though.

MN 


	4. Chapter 4

MN

"I want to see my brother." Itachi said on the eve of his nineteenth birthday.

"That might not be possible without a passport."

"I know a guy who can make a fake one." Itachi said immediately, alerting Kisame that Itachi had indeed thought about this already.

"There is a lot of security on plans, and no trains can cross an ocean." Kisame thought aloud.

"Which is why I was thinking, we should take the cruise ship, go by ship." Itachi continued. "France has many ports."

"Perhaps we can still the ship and turn it into a hotel." Kisame continued.

Itachi looked startled. "We would stay there?"

"Why not?" Kisame asked, rising. "Let's go after your birthday tomorrow. We have nothing here. We had our vacation. You cannot work, but I can, and I will hire someone to assist me. You will feel more comfortable near your brother anyway - just be careful, they might be watching him and looking for you near him."

Who they were went without saying - Kisame and Itachi never gave them a name, they were simply they. It went without saying that they were watching Sasuke, which made it a dangerous endeavor.

Just like that though, the plan was made. Itachi's birthday was everything they could have hoped for, but far from what they wished. Umi and Darui decorated the place and baked sweets. Kisame brought a giant cat pillow for Itachi, and Itachi carefully contained himself until the guests retired before vomiting blood and falling unconscious on the bathroom floor.

Kisame cleaned him and packed their bags. The journey to the coast where they had the ship moved was long in itself - their inability to use commercial transportation to avoid security and cameras made them slower, and meant longer, more uncomfortable rides.

They could not even tell stories or listen to music, it was upsetting for Itachi, whose health deteriorated more with each passing day. Umi had given Itachi medicine he could use to completely mask his symptoms, medicine he was not to use more than one day a week.

Itachi wore thick glasses now, and often kept his eyes blazing red behind a second layer of sunglasses or behind contacts.

It was a week before they arrived at the coast, the fastest they could move with Itachi in his condition. Itachi knew the cruise ship's layout front and back and had no difficulty maneuvering it, but Kisame suspected all was not well by how Itachi's eyes remained shut at all times.

So it was. They traveled with a small crew of brats they hired at the coast, ones who had so little to lose they didn't even care about things like questioning their employer.

Juugo, Suigetsu, Karin. They trained under Itachi for the five month journey to France in the art of marketing and customer service. To Kisame, he tried to teach finances and other finer details - though it seemed Kisame was already versed in the fields.

"Teach me sword fighting." Itachi said one day, "I want to learn something from you."

"Me too!" Suigetsu piped up. And so they fashioned wooden blades using empty crates.

Kisame taught Suigetsu and Itachi every morning while the sun was rising, and they would stop just before the sun was at its peak. They were naturals, both picking up the art with great speed.

Karin looked through the cruise's library and taught herself navigation and economic theory. Juugo would do most of the legwork, and seemed to enjoy most of all time spent staring into the sea. Sea gulls often came of him like they would not to anyone else.

It was Juugo who first started trying to mix the ingredients they had to create food, and soon he was the unofficial cook. He had nothing on Choji, but it was great.

Occasionally, at night, Itachi and Kisame would try sparring in the moonlight, and Kisame noticed a change when Itachi fought at night. It was faster, more powerful, and he would often catch Kisame off guard.

It was the first time Kisame noticed that Itachi did not cough when they sparred at night. A strange revelation, and Kisame wasn't sure what to make of it.

On those nights when their blood ran red, heated from battle and doused in adrenaline they debased themselves with carnal acts that could only be described as fucking. It wasn't the slow, careful caresses of before, but the animalistic needs of men sweaty and worn from battle, aching for release.

Kisame could forget on those nights that Itachi was sick.

They arrived in France just as winter approached, and they outfitted themselves in thick furs as the cruise loaded up against the beach area they had rented in advance. They set up anchor so the boat wouldn't move and had the hotel rooms prepared.

Suigetsu had taught himself to mix drinks and planned to reopen the bar. Karin planned to take over the business aspects that Itachi could no longer do, while Juugo took over kitchen duties and much of the legwork, along with Kisame. Everyone sided with cleanup.

They opened the hotel just before Christmas Eve and were booked all through. They decorated the ship in red and green wreaths and big gold star. Karin and Juugo fashioned some paper reindeer to stand on the edges.

Things seemed to be going well, but Kisame could sense Itachi's anxiousness.

"I must see him, I don't have time." Itachi said one day. "I will take the day off tomorrow and go."

"By yourself? No way." Kisame said. "I will come along."

Itachi shook his head. "Those three cant run the place by themselves."

"Karin is a pretty good manager I have faith in her ability, and she hired that new girl, Sakura. They can handle it."

"Sakura hasn't started working yet." Itachi pointed out.

"She will start tomorrow."

"All the better reason for you to stay."

"I'm coming with you and that's final." Kisame said firmly.

Itachi sighed. "Very well. There is an art exhibit by a talented artist named Sasori in Paris tomorrow. That is where Sasuke will be."

MN

The art exhibit had heavy security as the crown prince was visiting it. Like in many things, Itachi had thought this through.

Itachi wore a long blonde wig and put on blue contacts. Kisame had been confused, until Itachi explained that he was dressing up as Deidara, Sasori's consistent on-off boyfriend. Their infamous breakups were all the talk of the art world, it seemed. Deidara had a permanent spot on the guest list, and Itachi had reason to believe Deidara wouldn't show up today, being that they had recently broken up.

Kisame would be Deidara's bodyguard.

And so they infiltrated the art museum with ease, Itachi acted strangely in a way Kisame did not recognize, but assumed resembled this Deidara person. Luckily, Kisame only had to be quiet - though that task was difficult with Itachi's uncharacteristic goofiness.

Sasuke was walking through the museum with his hands in his pockets and a rather bored expression.

Itachi watched him like a hawk, circling through the various art pieces, mostly puppets and sculptures.

At some point, Sasuke began watching Itachi too, though they said nothing to each other. Kisame wondered if Sasuke knew or suspected anything.

The most Itachi dared do was glare down at Sasuke, who glared back. It was the only moment in which Itachi broke his disguise.

Nothing came of it. Nothing unusual happened, and they went home just before Sasori showed up to give his speech.

MN

Itachi wasn't the same after that. His fleeting moment with Sasuke made him fidgety. He couldn't sit still in one place, couldn't keep his food down, and couldn't stop worrying.

Nothing Kisame did helped, so Kisame stopped trying. He figured it was one of those moments to give Itachi space.

The new girl picked up on things quickly, and proved to be incredibly intelligent.

It was a coincidence that Kisame saw Sakura unlock her phone to a picked of Sasuke.

"A fan of the Prince, eh?" Kisame asked.

Sakura's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Well we are kind of friends..."

"Friends with the prince?" Kisame asked dubiously.

Sakura seemed to understand and pulled out a picture on her phone of herself between Prince Sasuke and Prince Naruto.

"See?" Sakura said, sliding to show many more pictures at different locations and times.

Either Sakura was really, really good at photoshop, or she was telling the truth.

"How?" Kisame asked. "Princes don't just meet up with girls who work at hotels."

Sakura made a face. "It's a long story... But anyway, it's not a big secret. The media picked up on it long ago, and claim it was just some lousy photographers. They say I photoshopped them and other mean things. It's not true though. And it doesn't matter to me what the others think." Sakura went back to her work. "Besides I... Want to be something on my own. I'm only working here to make it through med school you know. I may be a teenager, but I have a bachelors degree."

And that was news to Kisame. "Why not work at an internship or something biology related?"

"Less flexible hours and less money." Sakura said with a shrug. "Besides, I like it here."

"Well... You've impressed me." Kisame said. "I'm glad to have you on board."

"Glad to be here." Sakura beamed.

Kisame didn't realize until he left that Itachi had been listening the whole time.

"She knows him." Itachi commented.

"Don't interfere with them, it seems like she's already dealing with enough for knowing him." Kisame answered.

Itachi did not reply.

MN

A year went by, and Itachi made it a habit to seek out Sakura and ask her about her life. He would hear about Sasuke and Naruto, about other trivial things, but most of all, about Sasuke.

Itachi no longer asked to go see Sasuke, and Kisame suspected it was because Itachi's eyesight was completely gone. He always used reddened eyes, and wore sunglasses when working.

His health continued to deteriorate until he took Kisame aside one day and said it quite plainly.

"I'm going to die soon, Kisame."

Kisame nearly broke. "It can't be..."

"I have less than a year left, I know it to be true. I have requests to make, if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"I'll do anything." Kisame choked.

"I want to be cremated, and my ashes scattered along the river of the house we built together." Itachi said, intertwining his hand with Kisame's. "And I want you to keep an eye out on my brother. Protect him when I cannot anymore."

"I promise."

"I want you to take my eyes out before cremation. When the time comes, if Sasuke begins to lose his sight, give him my eyes."

"Your... Blind eyes?"

"I cannot explain." Itachi shook his head. "Please do this."

"Of course Itachi."

Itachi's death was easy. He went to sleep in Kisame's arms, and never woke up.

Kisame sobbed in the morning when he realized the love of his life was gone for eternity, he cradled Itachi's lifeless form as the sun's scathing rays filled the room.

Kisame preserved Itachi's eyes and hid them in his boat. He cremated Itachi himself as Itachi was not supposed to exist, by taking two boats to see and lighting one on fire with Itachi's body. There was no light save for the moon shimmering against the waves and the fire blazing through the blackened sky.

When he could, he picked up the ashes in an urn and went back to France. He mourned for a week during which none of the others asked what went wrong.

They assumed Itachi broke up with him, as none of them had even begun to guess that Itachi was sick. Itachi was at his heart, a brilliant actor.

After that first week, Kisame flew back to the States, where he scattered Itachi's ashes along the riverbank, and flew back to France.

He asked Sakura to get him an audience with the king, an odd request, but Sakura pulled through.

Queen Kushina was once only a noblewoman of Scotland. There was nothing French about her, and she carried an air of wilderness.

"I would like to speak with you privately." Kisame said, eyeing the guards. When Kushina looked dubious, about to refuse, Kisame continued. "I fear they look upon me with crimson eyes."

That got Kushina's attention. "Leave." Kushina said to her guards.

Once they were gone, she continued with a suspicious glare. "What is it?"

Kisame told his tale, everything he knew about Itachi, and about Itachi's final wish, minus the part about Itachi's eyes. "I only wish for a position close to Sasuke, perhaps as a bodyguard - I am a world renowned swordsman and quite handy with martial arts, weapons and guns."

Kushina, who had listened intently and grown softer with each word Kisame spoke, agreed.

MN

Sasuke was nothing like Itachi. He was wild, free, entitled, a brat. He was intelligent, but did not match up to Itachi, not in Kisame's opinion.

Still, Kisame stayed by Sasuke's side, always in the background as several more years went by.

"You are always something else at night, Sasuke!" Naruto laughed as he splashed Sasuke, who had decided to go surfing at midnight. Sakura simply watched with her toes in the sand, arms crossed as she clearly thought 'what idiots!'

"It's the moon, Naruto! She speaks to me. I feel wild in it's light."

And Kisame realized there was truth in it. Itachi also changed in the moonlight, it was subtle but noticeable, like the tide.

It wasn't until Sasuke was 21 years old, the same age as Itachi was at death, on a night where the moon shone in all its glory through the palace's stained glass windows, that he learned the truth of his heritage.

He was enraged. He threw things, he howled. He destroyed the throne room with blazing sharingan eyes and supernatural strength.

Then he sat down and listened as Kisame told him everything, including the truth of Itachi's eyes.

"I want his eyes." Sasuke said. "I need them."

It seemed there was something there that Kisame could not understand, but it did not matter. Sasuke took on Itachi's eyes, and that was the final moment that Kisame could bear.

Kisame died protecting Sasuke from the organization after the eye transplant.

Sasuke lived on, as the last Uchiha, and the King and Queen ensured that Sasuke remained safe by destroying the organization and any trace of its existence.

The first thing Sasuke saw when he opened Itachi's eyes was the full moon staring down at him in his childhood room, a glow-in-the-dark object tacked onto the wall.


End file.
